The Poetry Hour

Great poetry read aloud by great actors.

‘Poetry, this trinity of sound, sense and sensibility, gives voice to experience in the way that no other art form can’ Josephine Hart

The Josephine Hart Poetry Foundation has developed a free app, allowing users to read their favourite poetry collections alongside performances and narrations by great actors. 

The Poetry Hour app was originally designed for the late author and poetry enthusiast, Josephine Hart. It is now being constantly updated to ensure that all the readings surrounding her infamous Poetry Hours will be available to view.  

The Poetry Hour app will draw you into a parallel universe of hundreds of poems from sixteen of the greatest poets of all time. The poetry is accompanied by video and audio narrations from over thirty world-class actors and performers. 

The Poetry Hour app was designed for students, teachers, poetry lovers and poetry novices – everyone should be given the chance to enjoy great poetry read aloud. 

Read introductions and essays for each poet, beautifully written by Josephine Hart.  Her knowledge of poetry and passion for verse makes this feature an ideal educational tool for anyone and everyone wanting to dive into the enchanting world of poetry. 

Are you a poet? Do you fancy creating your own poetry? Write poems, save them into your very own library, and share your creations with your friends. If you get stuck along the way, The Poetry Hour app can supply you with inspirational words from all your favourite poets. 

‘Poetry, once it entered my mind, surfaced at times of need and became a lifeline’ Josephine Hart

THE POETS

W.H Auden, Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Browning, Lord Byron, Emily Dickinson, T.S Eliot, Robert Frost, Rudyard Kipling, Philip Larkin, Robert Lowell, John Milton, Marianne Moore, Sylvia Plath, Christina Rossetti, Percy Bysshe Shelley, William Butler Yeats
THE POETRY HOUR NARRATORS
Melvyn Bragg, Richard Eyre, David Hare, Frieda Hughes, Tom Stoppard, Alan Yentob, Peter Florence & Deborah Findlay

THE POETRY HOUR ACTORS
Eileen Atkins, Claire Bloom, Bono, Tom Burke, Nancy Carroll, Simon Callow, Alan Cox, Brian Cox, Kenneth Cranham, Sinead Cusack, Charles Dance, Hugh Dancy, Joanna David, Brian Dennehy, Lindsay Duncan, Rupert Evans, Ralph Fiennes, Deborah Findlay, Peter Florence, Edward Fox, Emilia Fox, Bob Geldof, Alexander Gilmour, Julian Glover, Grey Gowrie, Rupert Graves, Robert Hardy, Tom Hollander, Frieda Hughes, Jeremy Irons, Max Irons, Derek Jacobi, Felicity Jones, Felicity Kendal, Damien Lewis, Helen McCrory, Ian McDiarmid, Elizabeth McGovern, Roger Moore, John Mortimer, Harold Pinter, Rosamund Pike, Edna O’Brien, Charlotte Rampling, Kelly Reilly, Eddie Redmayne, Dan Stevens, Juliet Stevenson, Mark Strong, Harriet Walter, Dominic West, Samuel West, Greg Wise and Angus Wright.

WEBSITE: www.thepoetryhour.com

FEATURES:
- Read poetry from some of the greatest poets through the ages
- Listen and watch powerful narrations, as over thirty world-class actors and performers read poetry aloud
- Read in-depth introductions and essays by Josephine Hart on each poet and their poetry
- Share everything through Email, Twitter and Facebook
- Listen to a large collection of poetry read by great actors